AI Damage1999 Honda Passport: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Honda Passport filed 228 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 228
- involving a crash
- 32
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 22% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 8 Tires 3% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 67 complaints (29% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 51 complaints (22% of all).
- Structure: 33 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 27 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 27 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 228 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 67 | 15 | 0 |
| Suspension | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 33 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 7 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon taking it to a repair shop I was informed that the rear portion of he frame was severely rusted perhaps beyond the point of repair short of having the entire frame repaired.
Tl contact owns a 1999 honda passport. While driving approximately 55 mph in the snow, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The rear end slid to the left and the vehicle struck the culvert, went into the air, and landed in the ditch front first. The driver sustained injuries.
It was a horrifying experience with the operation of the airbags, smoke and noise. There was a cabell county deputy sheriff near the scene who did the reporting and investigation. Later that same day I once again passed through the accident scene and discovered no tire skid marks.
Prior to the accident, the vehicle had several brake failures. The abs warning light illuminated once. These brake failures occurred after the recall for the abs 02i002001 was performed.
Vehicle suffered tire tread separation which resulted in an accident. The accident occurred on the freeway where the vehicle flipped over on its side and then came to rest in a upright position.
The vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. When the consumer stopped in the driveway, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated to the point the brakes did not stop the vehicle. The vehicle hit the consumer's son, who was standing in the garage, through the back wall of the garage and had run him over.
With the brakes applied, there was a sudden power surge, gas pedal went to the floor and engine was racing. Consumer hit her son and landed in the garage. Manufacturer notified. Ts
Consumer states that intermittenly when driving and decelerating to a complete stop, the vehicle will slow down, but once stops will "lurch" forward almost causing collisions with other cars. The dealer has not been able to determine the cause. Ts
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,773 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Passport has 85 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 228, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Passport 199436 sources
- Passport 199560 sources
- Passport 199641 sources
- Passport 199756 sources
- Passport 1998229 sources
- Passport 2000102 sources
- Passport 2001134 sources
- Passport 200223 sources
- Passport 2019401 sources
- Passport 2020219 sources
- Passport 2021239 sources
- Passport 2022149 sources
- Passport 2023117 sources
- Passport 202453 sources
- Passport 202566 sources
- Passport 202685 sources
- Passport 99995 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Honda Passport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, structure. Total complaints: 228. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (21%), fuel system, fuel smell (8%), warning lights, check engine (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Honda Passport?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Honda Passport from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.